Hey guys....
I am back with another problem...
On my Samsung HP-R5072 plasma TV, after it is turned on for at least 10-15 minutes, I start to get a bunch of small crawling red dots in the dark or black areas of the image dispayed at that particular time.
Any suggestion to what this might be and any fixes possible/available ? After fixing my "Mitsubishi blinking green light of death" with Larry's help (THANKS Larry !!!), I feel I am ready to tackle more complicated stuff 
Anybody out there with any suggestions on this repair???
Thanks.
those are most often referred to as sparkles. The fixes include the following.
Tweaking of a few of the voltages on the Y sustain board. These adjustments are often only a temporary fix.
Replacement of the X and Y sustain boards along with the Logic board.
Finally, if these do not solve the issue you'll have to replace the PDP panel itself. Not cost effective in most instances.
Thanks for the reply MOtvGuy....
It looks like I'll have to get a service call going.
In your experience, is this a common problem with Samsung plasmas?
Thanks again for all your help.
Since this is an "R" model, HP"R"5072, it is about 3 years old and out of any manufacturers warranty. The real pain with making any adjustments to the set is you have to lay it down, remove the stand, then remove the back, then put the stand back on and return it upright so that you can see the picture as you are making any adjustments. Being a heavy 50 inch plasma set, this is a 2-man job.
If you want to tackle it, remember you will be working with the back off and the set plugged in. There are voltages that can kill. The plasma panel will be marked with a set of numbers in the upper right hand side reading Vs, Va, Vscan,Ve, etc...with the values that your panel will need- each panel is unique and tested when manufactured and marked. The important ones are Va and Vs. The place to measure these will be on the SMPS board in the middle. The measuring points and adjustments are on the upper right corner of the board. IIRC, Vs may be somewhere around 185Vdc to 197Vdc. If the set is even 2 or 3 volts higher than the marked value, the set can sparkle. It is best to set this 1 to 2 volts less than what the panel is marked. Va is something like 65Vdc. Once again, set it 1 to 2 volts less than what the panel is marked. Set these when the set has been on 20 minutes and is warm.
Check the picture while and after making any adjustment.
Why did the set begin to sparkle? Could be any of several reasons. The SMPS could be regulating a little higher with age. The plasma gas can be aging. Your incoming AC could be higher from the power company. Maybe the young lady assembling the set and calibrating it when it was built left the adjustments a little high to begin with. Or her DVM was a little out of calibration. A combination of any or all of the above. Who knows?
IF ADJUSTMENT DOES NOT CLEAR THE SPARKLES, you may need either a board replaced (SMPS, Y-main, or X sustain are the names Samsung uses) or a display panel replacement as MOtvGuy said.
In answer to your last question, could happen to any plasma set...
CharlieBrown...
Thanks a lot for taking the time to shed some light on the innards of a plasma and the potential causes for those blasted red sparkles...I have a much clearer picture now...Thank you.
I hear you about the absolute pain in the arse the taking down off the wall this plasma will be....When I first hung it up there 3 years ago it was a 3 people task
...IIRC it weighs about 110 lbs...I might give it a shot though...First I want to find out exactly what will it cost me to get those boards changed...I am pretty sure it won't be cheap 
Thaks again for your reply.
Folk, my Samsung HP-S4253 , 2 yrs old on 9-16-06 is getting all types black, red, blue dots. If you turn it on and back off the dots go away for a period of time. Samsung said this was
This is good stuff. I think I have the same model (TV is about 3 1/2 years old) and I definitely have the same red dots when the picture is dark. The dots started out in a small area of the bottom middle of the screen, but after about a year, the area has grown horizontally and vertically up to the middle of the screen.
What kind of tools are needed to measure the voltage and then make the adjustment?
This is good stuff. I think I have the same model (TV is about 3 1/2 years old) and I definitely have the same red dots when the picture is dark. The dots started out in a small area of the bottom middle of the screen, but after about a year, the area has grown horizontally and vertically up to the middle of the screen.
What kind of tools are needed to measure the voltage and then make the adjustment?
This is good stuff. I think I have the same model (TV is about 3 1/2 years old) and I definitely have the same red dots when the picture is dark. The dots started out in a small area of the bottom middle of the screen, but after about a year, the area has grown horizontally and vertically up to the middle of the screen.
What kind of tools are needed to measure the voltage and then make the adjustment?
My T.V. repair man is getting a new part and putting it in at $500.00. Thxs to Samsung this is the most expensive TV I have EVER owned.
This is good stuff. I think I have the same model (TV is about 3 1/2 years old) and I definitely have the same red dots when the picture is dark. The dots started out in a small area of the bottom middle of the screen, but after about a year, the area has grown horizontally and vertically up to the middle of the screen.
What kind of tools are needed to measure the voltage and then make the adjustment?
This is good stuff. I think I have the same model (TV is about 3 1/2 years old) and I definitely have the same red dots when the picture is dark. The dots started out in a small area of the bottom middle of the screen, but after about a year, the area has grown horizontally and vertically up to the middle of the screen.
What kind of tools are needed to measure the voltage and then make the adjustment?
This is good stuff. I think I have the same model (TV is about 3 1/2 years old) and I definitely have the same red dots when the picture is dark. The dots started out in a small area of the bottom middle of the screen, but after about a year, the area has grown horizontally and vertically up to the middle of the screen.
What kind of tools are needed to measure the voltage and then make the adjustment?
My T.V. repair man is getting a new part and putting it in at $500.00. Thxs to Samsung this is the most expensive TV I have EVER owned.
I've called an authorized Samsung service center in Houston, TX and they stated this is called “diffusion error”. Just like previous posts, they can do one of three things:
1) Adjust the voltage, only temporary fix ($175-$275 depending on offsite or onsite service)
2) Replace board ($400 plus labor)
3) Replace display (not economical)
Problem was common in 2006-2007 but no recent calls as people have already replaced old plasmas.
Will forgo spending money to fix, especially when there is no guarantee if it will be a permanent fix. Will be buying LCD for next TV.
Hello, I came across this thread, and I am desperate for some information concerning my Viore 42
I have a Samsung HP-R5072 Plasma TV that is blanking out the bottom half of the screen after ah hour of viewing. I assume it is a heat issue? This blanking of the bottom screen comes and goes. Last night it was the bottom of the screen blacking out with a intermittent striping of red, white yellow and tan. Thanks
try adding a few PC-style cooling fans to the inside of the case. that it only occurs after the tv has been on for 15 minutes would suggest the problem is heat-influenced.
Hello I just found this forum in a Google search. I got my 50 inch plasma from rooms to go last year but best buy geek squad installed it.
The problem is known as red snow and my tv has developed it. It looks to me like the scanning laser that turns on the pixels and sets their color is somehow showing through the pixels before they change from transparent to a darker color. It definitely happens most often when you first turn it on or when its going from a light background to a dark one. The menu display also seems to set it off.
Luckily the TV is under warranty. Geek Squad is going to replace some parts and it should be good to go. They are sending a technician out to replace the plasma panel and make a motherboard update. The lady on the phone seemed to indicate that it is an issue with the motherboard.
I only have 1 more month on the warranty and am seriously considering extending it.
I've been having this same problem with my 50" - Model # PN50C450. Went to the Samsung website and downloaded a firmware file to fix it. Just uploaded it to the TV and so far, so good.
We just had our tv looked at recently for the Red Sparkles. They did a "software update" (Geek Squad), and it switched from red in the upper right to blue in the lower left. So they said they needed to order the new panel. We waited for about a month and they came back and said it was no longer available. So we got an exchange due to the conditions in our black tie program which had just gone into effect because our "year" just passed. That cancelled our old warranty, so we had to purchase a new one for the tv they exchanged but small price to pay for a new TV.
I as well have the red blotches on my 50" Samsung. It also came from rooms to go as a "free" gift....I like to watch late night MeTV ie..Perry Mason, Untouchables, Twilight Zone amd Turner B/W. The red really loves B/W as well. The set is less than a year old and came from Best Buy. Should I call Best Buy for their service?
Your tv will need a new board (don't remember which). It'll cost you at least 200 bucks after your finished, and that's probably if you install the board yourself, which is not difficult. Plasmas run so hot that they kill their own electronics, and do so frequently. You might put a cooling fan in/on it... keeping it cool might even help with the red dot situation. I would enjoy it as is, and get a cooler-running lcd/led next. :)
I just fixed the red sparkle by adjusting the voltage levels but the pot that had the most effect was down bottom left next to the power cable on Samsung P50 - what is that one? It's not the normal Va Vs Ve Vscan Vset and doesn't seem to be marked.
This is a simple 10 minute fix if you have one of a few models with known issues that need a firmware upgrade from 1006 to 1008
Here is the Samsung website to check http://support-us.samsung.com/cyber/notice/pdp/pdp_reddiffusion.jsp
The models suffering this problem are:
PN50C430A1DXZA
PN50C430A1DXZC
PN50C450B1DXZA
PN50C450B1DXZC
thank you tonyclem! this completely removed my sparkles problem!!!!
vladdrac, what fixed your problem. I recently upgraded to firmware 1008.2 and started having the problem when the set warmed up. From what I have read, I actually need to upgrade to 1008.3, but it is not available on the Samsung site.